Disappearing rabbit fob dog races



May 10 1927. 1,628,518

, J. L. SHAUGHNESSY DISAPPEARiNG RABBIT FOR DOG RACES Filedv y 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY-9.

J. L. SHAUGHNESSY DISAPPEARING RABBIT FOR DOG RACES May 10, 1927. 1,628,518 Q Filed y l926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR.

J. L. Sfiaugknessg WM? W A TTORNEY'S.

Patented May 10, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. SHAUGHNESSY, OF HARVEY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAKIVIES V. MONDI, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DISAPPEARING RABBIT FOB DOG RACES.

Application filed July 23, 1926.

' The present invention relates to improvements in disappearing rabbit for dog races, and has for an object to provide an escape for a mechanical rabbit whereby the rabbit may be made to disappear from the track and sight of the racing greyhounds after the running of a race or a contest of skill, speed or endurance on a circular or other track.

The invention has for another object to provide a compact noiselessly operating device for the purposes above stated, in which the mechanical performance will be entirely reliable.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a disappearing rabbit construction, constructed according to the present invention, with the rabbit in the extended position.

Figure 2 is a similar view with parts broken away, showing the rabbit in the retracted position.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken through the housing and trench in which the rabbitca-rriage moves and showing the carriage in end elevation.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side view of the carriage showing the latching mechanism.

Figure 5 is a cross-section taken on an enlarged scale through the tracks and showing in elevation the trip mechanism.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of the trip mechanism.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detached. view of the supporting post.

Figure 8 is a similar view taken at right angles with the parts in a subsequent position; and

Figure 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8, showing a slight modification.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 designates a vehicle or carriage having flanged wheels 11 for supporting it upon the rails 12, shown in Figs. 3 and The car is driven by the use of appropriate power, for instance by the electric motor 13 through the gearing 14 and 15.

The track 12 is laid in a trench 16, shown in Fig. 3 and disposed parallel with the race Serial No. 124,474.

course indicated at 17. circular or straight.

The carriage 10 supports the arm 18 to the outer end of which is ai'iixed the mechanical rabbit 19. This arm 18 is at its inner end bent downwardly and removably secured in a bearing 20, upon the upper end of an angle bracket 21, the arm being held in the bearing by means of a removable cap plate 22 secured as by the bolts or other fastenings 23 to the bracket.

The bracket arnn as indicated in Fig. 3, is provided with a sleeve 24, having the vertical opening 25 therethrough to receive the vertical pin 26, upon which the bracket 21 is adapted to turn. Extending about the lower portion of the pin is a block 27, both block and pin being appropriately secured to the bed of the carriage 10, and the block being provided upon its upper edge with the inclined, spiral or cam surface 28, for cooperating with the complemental inclined spiral or cam surface 29 upon the lower edge of the bracket sleeve 24. Above the bracket sleeve is a coil tension spring 30 wound about the pin 26 and abutting at its upper end against the head 31 of the pin and at its lower end against the sleeve 24.

The track may be The sleeve and bracket construction carry the laterally extending arm 32 to the outer end of which is secured one end of the coil spring 33, the otherend of which is secured to a fixed part 34 on the carriage.

The bracket 21 also carries the latching finger 35 extending beneath the rabbit supporting arm 18 and having its outer portion positioned to engage within a guiding and housing clip 36, supported at the side of the car frame or upon a horizontal rail arried upon the standards 38 and 39, which are afiixed to the longitudinal side beams of the carriage or some part thereof. The finger is held in the clip 36 by the action of a latch or dog 40 pivoted at 41 upon the rail 37 at a point intermediate its ends. This latch is pivoted to the upper end of the link 42, which extends down substantially vertically and is also pivoted near its lower end to a guide arm 43 pivoted at 4-1 upon the carriage. The lower projecting nose of the link 42 extends down and into the path of a trip wedge 46, shown more particularly in Figs' 5 and 6. This trip wedge is pivotally seemed, as indicated at 4'? to the track or roadbed, and is adapted to swing to the two positions indicated in Fig. 6. The movement of the trip is accomplished through a rod 4:8 pivoted to the free end of the trip and eX- tending transversely across beneath the rails 12 to the opposite side of the track, where it is pivoted as indicated at 49 to the lower end of an operating lever 50, having the intermediate fulcruni point 51 about a suitable support.

In the operation of the device, the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 during the course of the race, the carriage 10 being driven by the electric motor and causing the mechanical rabbit to preceee the greyhounds. is soon as the dogs cross the tape or as soon as the race is finished, the carria e is arranged to pass by the trip at which will be placed in the position shown in full lines in Figs. 5 and 6 or in other words, directly in the path of the downwardly projecting nose of the link l-Q, shown in Fig. a. The wedge-shaped trip will thus raise the link, consequently lowering the latching dog a0 and causing the release of the latch finger The spring 3?) is then free to swing the rabbit carrying arm 18 from the position shown in Fig.1 to that shown in Fig. 2, whereby the rabbit 19 itself is caused to disappear beneath the housing or platform 52, shown in Fig. 8. It will be noted also that the coil tension spring 30 shown more particularly in Figs. 7 and 8 will asist in this movement. hen the rabbit 19 is drawn to the outer position, the high points of the cams 28 and 529 will engage, as indicated in Fig. 7, causing a raising of the sleeve 24 and bracket and a consequent con'ipression of the tension spring 30. The tendency of the spring 30 is to urge the sleeve 24 downwart ly, and this movement is assis ed by gravity and by the engagement of the cam faces 28 and 29, which also cause a rotary movement in the bracket 21 and rabbit carrying arm 18, as the sleeve 2% descends along the pin 26.

A slightly modified construction is shown in Fig. 9, in which the pin 26" is provided with coarse threads while the sleeve 2 is provided with similar threads 5 for engagement with the threads on the post. The same tension spring 30 and return spring 33 may be mounted in conjunction with this construction, if desired. 'When beginning the next race, the wedge trip 4:6 can be shifted out of the way by the lever 50, allowing the carriage to pass, the arm 18 is swung outwardly and the latch 4-0 engaged with the finger 35. The motor 13 of the carriage is put in operation and the race proceeds As many laps may be run as desired, whereupon the trip wedge 46 is swung into the path of the trip link 4-2 and the rabbit cause-d to disappear.

it is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

1 claim:

1.. A device as described, comprising a carriage having a fulcrum thereon, a rabbit ing arm having a pivotal and axial moven'ient with respect to said fulcrum, yieldable means associated with said fulcrum for tending to shift said arm axially to cause the rabbit to disappear, and means associated with said arm and fulcrum for causing rotary movement of the arm on axial shifting.

i; device as described, comprising a rriage, a rabbit carrying arm, a substanvertical. fulcrum on the carriage, airacket carrying the arm and having a cam sleeve for rotating and axially sliding on said fulcrum, a cam block cooperating with said cam sleeve, and resilient means urging said sleeve upon said cam block for rotating the bracket and arm and moving the same dly to cause the rabbit to disappear. device as described, comprising a a rabbit carrying arm pivoted a latch linger associated with the arm, a clip on the carriage to receive the finger, a movable latch for holding the finger in said clip, a trip leice associated with said latch, and a movable wedge block for engagement by said trip.

i. In a disappearing rabbit for dog races, a carr a rabbit carrying arm mounted on the carriage, means for normally urging the arm to turn into retracted position, a latch on the carriage at apted to engage the arm when extended for holding the arm in such position, a link connected to the latch and extending downwardly below the carriage, a second link disposed between the carriage and first link for supporting the latter in substantially vertical position, a pivoted wedge block disposed in the path of the carriage, and means for shifting the block into the path of the lower end of said first link for gradually raising the same and releasing said latch to free the rabliiit carrying arm. 7

In testimony whereof I afliz; my signature.

JOHN L. SHAUJHN SY. 

